Vampire Therapist

About

In "Vampire Therapist" , play as Sam, a reformed vampire gunslinger turned therapist, helping other bloodsuckers find inner peace in a narrative adventure simulator. With a star-studded cast, the game blends humor and real therapy concepts, exploring the challenges of immortality and self-acceptance. It's a unique mix of What We Do in the Shadows, My Dinner with André, and therapy education. Help your fellow vampires learn to love themselves in a world that often feels alien and hostile.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

97%

Audience ScoreBased on 354 reviews

humor89 positive mentions

replayability3 negative mentions

Unique and engaging concept that combines vampires and therapy, providing a fun and educational experience.
Excellent voice acting, artwork, and writing that bring the characters and story to life.
Encourages self-reflection and recognition of cognitive distortions, making it a valuable tool for personal growth.

Some technical issues, including lag during transitions and occasional audio mismatches.
Limited player agency with choices that often feel inconsequential, leading to a more linear experience.
Certain themes and jokes may not resonate with all players, particularly regarding American cultural references.

humor
89 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its clever writing and sharp wit, effectively balancing lightheartedness with serious themes such as therapy and social commentary. Players appreciate the blend of dark humor and poignant moments, often finding themselves laughing out loud while also engaging with deeper psychological concepts. While some found the humor to be hit or miss, the overall consensus is that the game successfully combines fun, insightful dialogue with endearing characters, making for a uniquely entertaining experience.
- “And it's funny as all hell, got me howling a couple of times, plus there's relevant social commentary and polyamorous vampires.”
- “The humor is great; it flips between sharp and silly, poking fun at a lot of today's social fooleries, but never comes off as simply mean.”
- “The characters are wonderfully crafted, balancing profound depth with moments of genuine humor that catch you off guard in the best possible way.”
story
84 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
52%
4%
The story of the game is highly praised for its depth, engaging characters, and emotional resonance, particularly in the context of vampire therapy and cognitive behavioral principles. Players appreciate the well-written dialogue and voice acting, which enhance the narrative experience, although some note that the choices can feel limited or illusory at times. Overall, the game is recommended for fans of visual novels and those seeking a unique blend of storytelling and psychological insight.
- “The story is well written, and the dialogue is fully voiced with good voice acting, which was a pleasant surprise.”
- “The storylines of Sam's clients have honestly gotten me to reflect upon my own behaviors and patterns in human behavior.”
- “The art, story, and voice acting are awesome.”
- “You are moving from point A to B in the story no matter what happens, with no input on the proceedings whatsoever.”
- “I sat on my review for a little before marking it, but despite amazing art and voice acting, the fact that you mostly just click your way through a story and do not make a single decision that has impact on the narrative really made the game a miss for me.”
- “Doing my best to not use spoilers, because I do recommend this game, I will limit myself to saying that the game has at least two storylines which show a heavy emphasis on the patient's emotional wellbeing with near total disregard to how dangerous they are to the people around them, and in one case a patient is celebrated for becoming more predatory in self-acceptance.”
gameplay
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
63%
8%
The gameplay is primarily focused on narrative-driven interactions typical of visual novels, featuring simple mechanics that allow players to steer conversations and identify cognitive distortions. While the core gameplay loop can feel repetitive and lacks intense action, it is enhanced by excellent voice acting, beautiful artwork, and engaging writing, making it a cozy and introspective experience. Overall, the game successfully blends therapeutic elements with storytelling, though some players may desire more variety in gameplay mechanics to boost replayability.
- “Amazing game, with simple gameplay mechanics, great writing, and incredible voice acting.”
- “This game has so much personality, and I really like the mechanics; it makes me feel more engaged with the story.”
- “Beautiful design, funny and witty dialogues, and innovative gameplay with an engaging story.”
- “Note that this is a visual novel; it's not really a game. There's interactivity in that you occasionally steer the conversations with choices, and you're invited to identify the cognitive distortions being displayed by the vampires as you talk to them, but that's about the limit of the gameplay.”
- “It's not that the game doesn't have more to offer than that in terms of character or narrative, but that is absolutely the core gameplay loop of Vampire Therapist, and needless to say, this all ends up hurting replayability.”
- “The gameplay does get a little repetitive after a while, but if you're a seasoned visual novel fan, this shouldn't be too much of an issue.”
emotional
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highly praised, with players noting its ability to evoke a wide range of feelings, from laughter to tears. The writing, voice acting, and themes of emotional vulnerability and psychological struggles resonate deeply, making it both a touching and humorous experience. Overall, the game is celebrated for its emotional intelligence and the meaningful exploration of complex issues, leaving a lasting impact on players.
- “The game delves deep into their struggles with loss, emotional trauma, and the fascinating tension between morality and immortality that develops as these beings age through centuries.”
- “It perfectly balances humor and emotional depth, and you end up caring about everyone’s growth.”
- “I laughed, I cried, I questioned my own sexuality, and I came to a greater understanding of my own psyche.”
graphics
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
48%
10%
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their excellent artwork, charming art style, and vibrant character designs, which enhance the overall experience. Many reviewers noted the impressive voice acting and atmospheric music that complement the visuals, creating a cohesive and engaging narrative. However, some users reported performance issues, indicating that the game may be poorly optimized, leading to overheating even at lower graphic settings.
- “The artwork was gorgeous, the music atmospheric, and mechanics were simple but smoothly slotted in with the feeling of the game.”
- “The art style is beautiful, the voice acting is impeccable, and the story is compelling.”
- “Very consistent, appealing, and stylish artwork.”
- “Game play aside, something about this game seems to be very poorly optimized - even with graphics at the lowest setting, my computer gets hot and loud very quickly, which I've never encountered when playing literally any other visual novel type game, and even with much more challenging open world games is rarely an issue.”
- “Not what you'd expect from a visual novel level graphics and like zero action gameplay...”
- “The artwork is so well crafted that I would have loved to see some special arts of the main characters.”
music
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
68%
16%
16%
The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric quality, effectively complementing the stunning artwork and engaging writing. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack's ability to balance between being enjoyable background music and not becoming intrusive, enhancing the overall experience. Additionally, the voice acting is noted as exceptional, further enriching the game's emotional depth.
- “The artwork was gorgeous, the music atmospheric, and mechanics were simple but smoothly slotted in with the feeling of the game.”
- “The music is also pretty good, giving it that club feel while also perfectly balancing between being good background music and not too annoying to listen to constantly.”
- “The music has the right amount of gothic.”
- “There are some issues with Steam Deck compatibility, particularly the music volume doesn't stay where you've set it, and when going into Andromacho's quizzes, the controller won't recognize the menus properly.”
- “The music and sound were very well done, and while I hate the term 'cozy' in relation to a game, the setting for this was.”
optimization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
25%
38%
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with players reporting significant performance issues even at the lowest graphics settings, leading to overheating and loud fan noise. Despite its charming characters and strong vocal performances, many users hope for future updates to address these optimization problems and improve overall gameplay experience.
- “From the writing to vocal performances, this game is a must-have for any visual novel enjoyer.”
- “Great wee game with some excellent vocal performances (Edmund is a delight!) and genuinely good, fun writing.”
- “Game play aside, something about this game seems to be very poorly optimized - even with graphics at the lowest setting, my computer gets hot and loud very quickly, which I've never encountered when playing literally any other visual novel type game, and even with much more challenging open world games is rarely an issue.”
- “It's not optimized at all.”
- “I really hope there will be more bug/performance fixes soon and maybe adding a couple more tutorials, especially on the meditation mini game.”
character development
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
29%
Character development in the game is highlighted by its unique and vibrant character designs that reflect their eccentric natures, complemented by excellent voice acting and an engaging art style. Players find the characters relatable and immersive, enhancing the overall experience with captivating stories and a fun atmosphere. The combination of quirky elements and beautiful graphics contributes to a strong sense of character identity and connection.
- “In addition to the relatable situations and the quirky vampire puns, the character designs and voice acting are amazing, and it was easy to get immersed in this world.”
- “This game has immaculate vibes, captivating character designs, and engrossing stories.”
- “The art style is endearing, and the character designs are unique and vibrant, to match the characters' eccentric natures.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The game's replayability is limited due to its linear gameplay and lack of meaningful choices, which detracts from the overall experience. Players noted that the core gameplay loop feels repetitive, and aside from achievement hunting, there isn't much incentive to replay the game.
- “It's not that the game doesn't have more to offer than that in terms of character or narrative, but that is absolutely the core gameplay loop of Vampire Therapist, and needless to say this all ends up hurting replayability.”
- “Fair warning though, it's very 'on the rails' and I couldn't find any real choices to make, which certainly hurts any replay value.”
- “The neck biting felt like an unnecessary and somewhat pointless hurdle between sessions to me, and unless you are a perfectionist and/or achievement hunter, I don't think this game offers much replayability.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is currently a concern, with users reporting frequent crashes, freezing issues, and various bugs that affect gameplay, such as choppy transitions and problems with saving and loading data. While some players still find enjoyment despite these technical issues, the overall experience is hindered by these stability problems.
- “I can't even play the game because after the beginning sequence with Andy, the game crashes and the screen freezes on Andy and Sam sitting down.”
- “At this moment in time, the game is slow and a bit buggy even on the latest version.”
- “From a technical standpoint, the game is a little bit buggy, although not in a way that stopped me from enjoying the experience: the curtain transitions are very choppy, and I noticed that sometimes when I saved while on the screen in which you choose cognitive distortions for your next session, loading back into that save would result in a placeholder menu with no patient data loaded in, plus some other minor things like loading when an image was being displayed might show the wrong image.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its stunning artwork and atmospheric music, which seamlessly integrate with the gameplay mechanics. Reviewers highlight the impressive character design and overall energy, contributing to a captivating and immersive experience.
- “The artwork was gorgeous, the music atmospheric, and the mechanics were simple but smoothly integrated with the feeling of the game.”
- “The entire design of the characters and the atmosphere was just stunning, and I felt quite proud to have helped the clients the way that I did.”
- “The characters are great, the atmosphere is great, and the energy is too.”